Once again, Aruba was proudly represented by the Aruba Tourism Authority (A.T.A.), AHATA, and other tourism partners during Caribbean Travel Marketplace 2024, the largest and most important tourism conference in the Caribbean. This year’s event took place in Montego Bay, Jamaica, welcoming 1200 delegates from over 45 destinations in the Caribbean, including Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Saint-Martin, Sint Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, and more, including Aruba. This year’s edition was one of the largest after the pandemic.
The week began with the Destination Resilience Award 2024 ceremony, focusing on a country’s resilience. In 2022, Aruba won the top award for its management during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, A.T.A. participated in the competition, focusing on the transformation from the Aruba National Park Foundation (FPNA) to the Aruba Conservation Foundation (ACF) as a modern conservation management organization. With this, Aruba also focuses on the need to conserve the island’s environment. It is worth mentioning that Aruba was a finalist for this recognition alongside the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, with the Bahamas ultimately winning the award.
A.T.A. also took the opportunity to congratulate De Palm Tours for receiving the “Highest Customer Satisfaction” award for 2023, awarded to them by JetBlue Vacations.
The Aruban delegation, consisting of Ronella Croes, CEO of A.T.A., Sanju Luidens, Chief Marketing Officer, Sjeidy Dijkhoff Feliciano, Area Director NA, and Tisa La Sorte, CEO of AHATA, attended various planned meetings during the conference.
During meetings, discussions focused on expectations for the American and Canadian markets, among others.
It is noteworthy that, for Aruba, after experiencing four strong first months for 2024 in the American and Canadian markets, where North America increased by 17.9%, it is generally anticipated that this trend will continue for the remainder of the year, taking into account that some months require more attention than others. For this reason, attending these meetings is seen as crucial, as it allows for adjusting strategies where necessary. At the same time, it is important to remain vigilant about developments in America that may affect travel demand due to consumer behavior, which may exercise more caution with travel purchases, including travel to Aruba.
During the meetings, the Aruban delegation presented updates on various developments, strategies, events, sustainability initiatives, and the use of technology that will help position Aruba and enhance visitors’ experiences on the island. Performance and results were also shared, both from Aruba and our international partners.
Topics covered and shared through an international press release at the conference included the introduction of myAruba Assistant, a travel assistant powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) available on the Aruba.com website and WhatsApp. This tool was designed to provide 24/7 recommendations for Aruba. The myAruba Assistant responds quickly with specific recommendations.
Regarding the conservation and preservation of our environment, Aruba presented its growing focus on the island’s well-being with the announcement of the Aruba Conservation Foundation (ACF), noting that currently 25% of the island is protected. In addition to this, ACF also manages four marine areas.
An update on product development was presented during the event, including the introduction of the St. Regis Palm Beach Resort as a 5-star hotel, Iberostar Grand in front of Eagle Beach, the expansion of the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino with a new tower that will offer elevated dining and bar experiences. Additionally, there are plans for the future renovation of the existing tower to elevate the property entirely. Lastly, the introduction of Secrets Resorts & Spa, which will debut Secrets Baby Beach.
Regarding events on the island used for promotion, the focus was on the famous KLM Marathon, celebrating its sixth edition in June 2024. This event is affiliated and certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races. The new Relaxathon event, which will take place in June 2024 and presented by a renowned athlete with five Olympic medals, will become the first competition in the relaxation category in the Caribbean. Also promoted was the sixth edition of Aruba I Do, taking place in August 2024, where couples will renew their wedding vows on the island in a romantic ceremony.
This year also introduced a new culinary event that Aruba will organize on the island in October 2024. An event that will illustrate culinary variety through an interactive event with renowned local and international chefs.
Last but not least, the Aruba Open Beach Tennis, which takes place in November 2024, was also promoted.
A.T.A. is very satisfied with the performance during Caribbean Travel Marketplace 2024 and thanks the Aruban delegation for their support and for a productive week.
